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Ok so I have been wondering recently. Does sleeping position affect you having LD's? I tend to have LD's when I am sleeping on my side with my right arm underneath me. I also am very successful having WILDs when I sleep on my back with a lot of pillows stacked around me. Does sleeping position affect anyone else's dreaming.
I think that it depends on how comfortable you are when sleeping, as soon as you go lucid, you are more susceptible to waking, so light, noise, and being uncomfortable will will awaken you. I normally sleep easy through all light, but one night a light was left on, and every time I became lucid I woke up automatically. My Tutorial for extending Lucid Dream Time. Hours of LD. - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views
It should be easier to focus on getting lucid as well, but I do not know for sure. ;)
Research by LaBerge shows higher percentage of LDs occur on the right side, as you figured out.
I feel that for DILD you should be as comfortable as possable.
What about WILD? I will break it down into two types of WILD. 1st) The type where you intend to rapidly fall asleep, and stay mildly aware for a short time, hoping to enter into REM quickly. This is maybe the type more people use. In that case I suggest just being reasonably comfy. 2nd) This type is a self hypnotic trance state. You actually want to maintain a fairly high degree of awareness while totally asleep. You may need to wait for REM, and want to stay aware, while asleep for as long as it takes. In that type of WILD I recommend a position that is comfortable, but does not allow you to sleep as easily and limits your movement. In that case I use sleeping on my back with pillows to limit my ability to turn. If I hit awareness in deep sleep, and then feel some bodily discomfort, I may move to a normal sleep position, because I am already in the trance state.
Most of my LDs that I remember occur when I sleep on my stomach with my head facing right, or when I'm on my back. Like BrandonBoss said, I think it's a comfort thing. Like, you know when you DEILD you're not supposed to move much? Well the way I figure is, if you're really comfortable you won't move too much in between cycles. That's just my experience though.
There are some studies that lying on your back supports having lucid dreams. Since I sleep in that position either way, I can't really tell a difference. But yesterday I had a Lucid Dream, and if I remember correctly I fell asleep on my side. So it is possible! But it might depend on the person...
Yup, same thing here, always sleep on my back, so I can't really tell if it makes a difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by meistersomnius
Do you sleep with a pillow under your head?Quote:
Originally Posted by howtoluciddream
I sleep on my back when I WILD as I go to sleep, but when I DEILD in the morning I usually sleep on my side. :)
I never have them while I'm on my side. I have to be on my back.
i didn't know this but i've attributed it to more blood going to the side of my brain on the bottom due to gravity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rothgar
I've only had some WILDs while laying on my stomach...
I have the most success sleeping on my left side. I like to start a WILD on my back, then roll to my side, which is my normal sleeping position.
Yea yea, same here! I can DEILD sooo easy upon awaking IF I stay aware enough lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Robot_Butler
I find that my position doesn't change my ability to be lucid but it does effect the type of lucidity I get and what I'm able to do. What I've worked out so far:
- Sleeping on my back:
More inclined to dreams of flight and falling. I think because I have a heavy weight behind me but in front of me is light.
- Sleeping on my front:
Generally my ability to interact with objects in the dream greatly increases. My sense of touch, and what is nearest to me has greatly increased. This would make sense because at the moment in the waking world I feel the bed and the weight of my body. It's a very grounding type of lucidity. The only annoying thing is waking up and my arm has gone dead and I spend 20 seconds or so working out if what I'm feeling is actually my arm and laughing at how funny it feels to try and move it again.
- Sleeping on my side:
Generally gives me a mixture of different types of dreams, I find I'm a lot better at using my legs in these dreams, walking, skateboarding, things like that all become more of the highlight of that dream. It would make sense because my legs don't lay straight, they sit bent a little bit and get a mixed feeling of weight and freedom.
There's a current study at the lucidity institute about sleep position and lucid dreaming.
Support research by participating..
Lucid Dreaming and stuff like that: Online Survey at the Lucidity Institute: Volunteers needed
^i wonder what handedness has to do with it. i'm a lefty so i'll try to do it.
I can usually get an LD in any position, but it's definitely a matter of what is more comfortable. For instance, at home, I get LDs pretty often, because I have a tempurpedic bed. But in my dorm, its not very comfortable at all, and my lucid count goes down.
Sometimes it is when I am not actually very comfortable that I have lucids. If I stay in a hotel I am often going to have an LD, because I do not sleep as deeply.
I'm half left- half right-handed, o better: 1/3rd left, 2/3 right-handed.Quote:
Originally Posted by slyman
I will send my questionaires to US soon. Unfortunately it seems to be not possible to participate via eMail
BTW:
I heared that unvoluntary sleep paralysis more often occurs when people sleep on their backs, but I can't remember where I read this.
^ i've gotten it in all positions but mostly on my stomach. i don't sleep on my back often but i'd say proportionally it would be the most
yea i want to say i'm the same way but i'm not sure. maybe staying a little more awake helps you to be a little more awareQuote:
Originally Posted by sivason
Makes sense, I normally don't sleep on my back, but the one time that I was lucid and sleeping on my back I awoke in SP.Quote:
Originally Posted by EmoScreamo
Most stories I have heard of SP have been about people looking around their room whilst lying on their back. So I always imagine people lying on their back when they say SP now.
I feel that if you can sleep in new places dreams are always more vivid. Last time I was at a hotel I LDed too. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by slyman
I have to be on my back, never had a lucid dream from any other position.
I have my lucids on my right side, I tried to fall asleep on my back but it takes about an hour to fall asleep even when I'm extremely tired.
Dude, no offense, but like everyone does..Quote:
Originally Posted by meistersomnius